P

PaintShop Pro

Paid#10 of 159 in Photo Editing SoftwareAI Photo Editors

Windows photo editing with RAW tools, layers, masks, and AI enhancements

7.1/10★★★★☆Editor score

Visit PaintShop Pro

At a glance

• Editor score
  7.1 / 10
• Pricing
  30-day trial
• Best for
  Windows editing with design tools
• Free plan
  No
• Platform
  Desktop
• Founded
  1985 · Ottawa, Canada
• Facts checked
  20 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Supports RAW editing for more than 800 camera models
  • Combines layers, masks, batch processing, and cataloging
  • Adds AI enhancement, retouching, and graphic-design tools

• Where it doesn't

  • Available only for Windows
  • Does not offer a free plan
  • Its broad toolkit may exceed simple editing needs

Our verdict on PaintShop Pro

PaintShop Pro is a Windows photo-editing and graphic-design application from Corel. It is aimed at users who need more than basic photo correction, including photographers working with RAW files, people managing photo libraries, and designers creating composites or graphics. The feature set covers RAW import and editing, non-destructive layers, masks, HDR merging, 360-degree photo editing, batch processing, portrait retouching, vector drawing, text, templates, and cataloging tools. Multiple workspaces support different editing tasks, from retouching and compositing to illustration and photo management.

Its main strength is breadth within a desktop workflow. PaintShop Pro combines advanced editing foundations with practical organization features such as keyword tagging, ratings, and metadata review. Batch processing can apply edits across multiple photos, while AI tools handle upsampling, denoise, artifact removal, background replacement, and Portrait Mode. Compatibility with Adobe Photoshop plugins, Topaz Labs plugins, and Nik Collection by DxO also gives users options to extend the application with established creative tools. This makes it a good fit for Windows users who want photography and design capabilities in one application rather than a narrowly focused editor.

The product is sold as a subscription-free perpetual license and includes a 30-day trial, but there is no free plan. Its Windows-only availability is the clearest platform constraint, especially for teams or households using other operating systems. The broad feature set may also be more than needed for users who only want quick adjustments or a lightweight browser-based editor. Choose PaintShop Pro if you want RAW support, layered compositing, cataloging, batch work, AI enhancement, and design tools on Windows. Choose an alternative if cross-platform access or a free plan is essential.

PaintShop Pro pricing

All 2 PaintShop Pro plans and prices →

PaintShop Pro fact sheet

Alternatives to PaintShop Pro

• Adobe PhotoshopA deep, multi-platform editor for compositing, retouching, RAW work, and AI-assisted edits.8.0
• Adobe LightroomA broad Lightroom workflow for RAW editing, masking, organization, and synchronized access.8.1
• Affinity PhotoA free desktop editor with deep controls for RAW, layers, masking, retouching, and batch work.—

See all PaintShop Pro alternatives →

Also listed in

• AI Photo Editors

Used PaintShop Pro? Be the first to review it

The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used PaintShop Pro for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.

Write a reviewTwo minutes · your e-mail is never shown · read by an editor before it appears

Website

Your rating

5 stars★4 stars★3 stars★2 stars★1 star★

Title

Your review

0 characters · at least 80, up to 3,000

Pros (optional · one per line)

Cons (optional · one per line)

Your name

E-mail (to confirm your review · never shown)

Role (optional)

Company (optional)

How long have you used it?Prefer not to sayLess than a month1–6 months6–12 months1–2 years2+ years

I've used PaintShop Pro myself and this is my honest opinion — nobody paid or asked me to write it.

Send my reviewYou'll get a confirmation link by e-mail. Reviews appear after an editor reads them, usually within two working days.

Featured on iTechGuides

Guides on photo editing software

• Best Free Photo-Editing Software for WindowsAug 2026
• The Best Photo Editing Software We've Tested for 2026Aug 2026
• Best Free Photo Editing Apps for Mac: Which Free Photo Editor Is Right for You?Aug 2026

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes a score or a verdict. How we rank.